


The Sacrifice

by Ramzes



Series: The Silver Dragon and the Faded Sun [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Forced Marriage, Gen, Parody, a story inspired by an anon post on tumblr, elia is to blame, it's jon's turn now, rhaegar nobly sacrificed himself by wedding elia, so i suppose it's dedicated to this anon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 19:47:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19116493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ramzes/pseuds/Ramzes
Summary: Rhaegar Targaryen's life was a line of sacrifices - it's Jon's turn now. He needs to accept his half-sister Rhaenys as his bride to appease Dorne.





	The Sacrifice

The closer the big day came, the more Prince Jaehaerys’ determination wavered. His betrothed was too… other. Too dark-skinned, too black-eyed, too-chatty-while-hiding-her-true-thoughts-from-everyone, too …Dornish.

And not Targaryen at all, no matter what she was named, what she was styled.

“You have to do this,” his mother said and he startled, as if he had spoken aloud without thinking. “It’s the only way we can have peace. And you know she’s a nice and friendly girl, and not ugly at all. You won’t be unhappy with her…”

But Jaehaerys wanted more than simply not being unhappy. He wanted love, true love, like the one his parents had. A love that had instigated a war, killed thousands and ultimately led to the greatest age Westeros had ever seen under King Rhaegar Targaryen and his noble warrior queen Lyanna Stark. He told his mother this much and immediately regretted it because he hated the guilt and shame clouding her eyes, as if she had done something wrong.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I never thought it right to have the children pay for their parents’ sins. But sometimes, it’s inevitable. Rhaegar and I went against all that was good and right and Dorne is right to be angry.”

She was so good that he wanted to have Dorne burn on her behalf. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” he snapped. “If Elia Martell wasn’t a graceless, cheating Dornish whore, perhaps Father would have come to love…”

He didn’t get to finish because his mother slapped him so hard that the gem of her ring tore his mouth bleeding. She did not even blink. “I will not hear you talk about the Queen of Westeros like this ever again,” she snapped. “Until you have experienced what we have, had your love denied you and been married to someone who couldn’t bring themselves to love you, you don’t have the right to open your mouth at all. Be silent until you know what you’re talking about!”

Jaehaerys wiped his mouth and did fell silent, for his mother’s sake. The Dornish whore had gotten her due, though. She may be styled queen and get precedence at all formal occasion but everyone knew who King Rhaegar’s true consort was. They knew her and loved her.

“Do you think that Aegon, at least, is my brother?” he asked with morbid curiosity. If Aegon was, at least it would make sense that Jaehaerys was trained to be his Hand. If not, this would be just another thing Elia Martell had managed to take from his parents.

“He might be.” Lyanna was untypically thoughtful. “He is silver-haired and purple-eyed like your father.”

 _But Arthur Dayne is purple-eyed as well_ , Jaehaerys thought. _And while he is black-haired, his little sister has hair the colour of moon and his father was said to be the same._ If he had to wed a Dayne to appease the land of snakes, he would have rather had this one – but then again, Rhaenys might not even be a Dayne. For all the love Elia Martell professed for her white knight – leading him to break his oaths the way she had broken hers, - it had not stopped her from bedding others for years, before she had settled on him. A very strange way to pine for a lost love indeed! And now, Jaehaerys himself had to marry someone who would likely give him a reason to doubt if his children were truly his. Someone who was not a virgin, as he well knew because men had no place creeping out of her chamber in the hour of the wolf.

But… duty came first, as his parents had taught him. That was why Lyanna had accepted being demoted to a second place, formally. That was why Rhaegar had an heir in a boy who might be his son – or not.

“I’ll do it,” he sighed and his mother’s smile was all the reward he needed.


End file.
